Freedom's Cost
When engines roared and hatred flew
and innocence was lost
In twisted steel and broken lives --
there lay Freedom's cost
When heroes crawled amongst the ruins
in desperate search of life
Their burning eyes bore witness to
Freedom's awful price
When travelers stood to wrest the course
of hatred from its goal
They knew full well they gave their lives
in paying Freedom's toll
When soldiers proud donned uniforms
for battles all too near
Was known that all would not return
for Freedom's dues are dear
When from sorrow a nation rose
in determined unity
With heads held high, prepared to fight
for Freedom is not free
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, September 20, 2001
A Solitary Candle
A solitary candle
A humble, quiet token
The merest spark of hopefulness
That left the dark unbroken
It whispered to the empty night
Of innocence too brief
Of bravery midst adversity
Of anguished souls in grief
Through tear-dimmed eyes it shimmered
A solemn, lonely flame
Its whisper caught the evening breeze
And soon more candles came
A thousand burning candles
A golden, shining sea
Lit a nation�s darkened heart
Revealing Unity
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, October 10, 2001
Spirit Of A Nation
I proudly wave across the land,
stately emblem in the breeze
A patriotic declaration
of a nation�s liberty
White purity and innocence
Red hardiness and valor
Blue vigilance and justice
are preserved within my colors
Over hallowed halls of knowledge,
of government, of law
I stand watch over principles
to earn my nation�s awe
And like the stars so proudly worn
upon my breast of blue
I transcend the bonds of earth
to stand majestic on the moon
Dauntless onto battlefields
I lead my country�s brave
And with solemn dignity
escort the fallen to their graves
I serve as dressing for the wounds
of injured men and towers
Bestowing hope and solace
in my nation�s darkest hours
When my loyal, revered servants�
last heartbeats come to pass
I join my mourning nation,
flying somberly half mast
Flames of hatred and dissension
may reduce my cloth to ash
Yet with the smoke my liberty
still rises unabashed
My strength lies not in stars or stripes,
in fabric nor in thread
But in the hearts of citizens
who hold my values sacred
For those who would destroy
America�s noble decoration
Will come to find they shan�t destroy
the spirit of a nation
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, October 25, 2001
Untitled
I slip into your bedroom
to listen to you breathe
softly,
quietly,
to not disturb your sleep
I offer up a silent plea
for a world gone mad somehow
I brush away my tears,
I sigh,
then I kiss your brow
I know that I am not alone
for half a world away,
another mother kneels beside
her child's bed to pray
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, September 21, 2001
We The People, An American Poem
We the People of rich varied heritages
Red, brown, ebon, white, and gold in creation
Have struggled to come to accept then embrace
Our diversities which strengthen our nation
We the People of humble beginnings
Whose forefathers dreamt of liberty
Faltered and stumbled, but their dream like a beacon
Shone the way on our path to democracy
We the People of a nation imperfect
Have erred and committed our sins
Yet we hold our faults up for all to examine
In effort not to commit them again
We the People of generosity and compassion
Ever ready for other nations in need
In war or disaster when innocents suffer
Lay our purses and hearts at their feet
We the People believers in justice
Imbued with a sense of fair play
Strive to practice this quality on both friend and foe
At home and in lands far away
We the People of sorrow and mourning
In grief draw each other near
Standing shoulder to shoulder, sift through ashes and rubble
Finding comfort and hope amidst tears
We the People of courage and spirit
Face adversity time and again
We may bend, but not break, and will rise ever stronger
For We are Americans
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, September 14, 2001
Victim
Victim,
so impersonal a word
implying suffering
now it echoes through our days
Mothers, daughters,
fathers, sons,
aunts, uncles,
grandparents, cousins,
Nieces, nephews,
sisters, brothers,
colleagues, neighbors,
friends, lovers
Perhaps victim
is easier for us to say
� 2001 Deborah Whipp , USA, September 21, 2001
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